fat cat?

I have a 9 month old DSH kitty and I just can't figure out if she's fat. She's always begging for food and going in the kitchen searching for it, but I think I feed her plenty. I can feel her ribs and spine, and I can see her waist, but she is getting quite a pooch under her tummy. Is this possibly just because she's spayed, or could kitty be getting fat?

What is her history? Where did you get her?

Has she ever been wormed?

How much and what are you feeding?

I feed her Iams or Purina kitten food, about 3/4 cup a day (split in half). She has had deworming treatment in the past (she had fleas when I got her from the humane society so they treated for worms too). I've had her for about 7 months now, and this is a newer behavior. She goes into the kitchen and meows at her food, and she is always checking the floor for crumbs after I eat.

3/4 c of kitten food sounds about right to me. Maybe someone with more kitten experience will chime in on that. I've heard that kittens should be fed as much as they want but I don't know how long kittenhood is considered to last.

What are her stools like? Firm, not watery or pudding like?

If her stools are OK and from your description, I would go ahead and feed her more. She doesn't sound fat to me.

Personally I would quit with the kitten food. If she is getting a little chunky, the kitten food will only add on more weight. Iams and Purina are alright, but not great quality of food so they may be leaving her hungry quicker. Keep her active, only feed what the bag recommends and adjust accordingly. Don't free feed her, don't offer snacks or table scraps and treats. It is in most cases the fault of the owner if the cat ends up fat. Fat leads to all sorts of health problems. So exercise her.

She gets absolutely no table scraps. She's not even allowed around the table when we're eating. As for treats, the most she gets is a can of tuna or sardines maybe once a month. I also play with her with a teaser every morning, making her run up and down her cat tree for at least 15 minutes, and sometimes again at night. She is never free fed, either. I tried that and she porked in the morning and spent the rest of the day begging. I'll definitely look into switching to an adult food, though. That's a very good point.

Agree that its time to switch to adult food. Sounds like she's about right, but doesn't take long to gain weight. And a lot harder to get it off